The two projects implemented by the Ministry of Culture in Halki are in full progress, and on schedule: the creation of an Archaeological Museum and the restoration and promotion of the Virgin of Choriani, in the Castle, with a total budget of over 1,000,000 euros.

The church of Panagia Choriani, in the medieval village of Chorio, was built in the 17th century, on the northern side of the Paleokastro hill, where the medieval castle stands.

Due to its aging and exposure to environmental conditions, the historic church presents many problems.

Moisture has damaged the fresco decoration, while the temple shell needs maintenance and repairs to maintain its static adequacy. The maintenance and restoration works of the monument are in full progress.

The work of restoring the monument includes, among other things, the application of grouts and the replacement of weak mortars with new reinforced ones, the repair of the vaulted ceiling and its waterproofing, the repair of the tile-roofed adjacent auxiliary building (warehouse), the replacement of the worn wooden frames, the restoration-restoration of the existing dry stone on the south side of the courtyard of the temple, the restoration of masonry precinct on the east, west and north sides, the improvement of the access road from Pano Vrytis to the ascending staircase on the north side of the church, the unveiling of frescoes by removing whitewash, the unveiling of architectural members by removing layers of lime, the maintenance of the wood-carved iconostasis, the placement of informational material signs.

The Archaeological Museum will be housed in a traditional building, the restoration of which is at the stage of completion and the implementation of the museological and museographic study for the exhibition of its collections has begun.

The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni stated: “The establishment and operation of the Museum aims to present the archeology and history of Chalki in its long history, through the permanent exhibition of the finds on the island, in a way that highlights to its visitors the his particular physiognomy. We protect the findings of excavations and archaeological research on the island, we contribute to the education of students by highlighting the cultural heritage of their place. We are creating poles of cultural and touristic interest and at the same time new jobs, while strengthening the economic development of Halki”.

The Museum will be housed in a property, within the declared traditional settlement of Emporio, donated by Savva Theodoridis. The property was granted in 2013 to the Municipality of Chalkis, and then, in 2017, the Ministry of Culture accepted the grant for 99 years, for museum use and specifically, to house the Archaeological Collection of the island.